IN THE HEARTS AND SOULS OF RIO - TAKING A STROLL AROUND

Santa Tereza...where else can you go to really experience local daily life??? It is indeed one of my favorite places in Rio...one district that you find something new to see just by turning every corner...a place where cobbled stones pictures tell you the history of the whole city. A Bohemian places full of portuguese influence in the tradition, in the cuisine and in the architecture.

Santa Tereza has a special vagabond way to learn more about the just be Cariocas...the creative graffites that we simply find in the walls allow us to let our imagintation fly, and as you notice...I do love to play!!! :))))) Richard and I really understood the spirit of Rio where we can ourselves. Richard came with his wife, our great friend Kate, and they were convinced by another great friend of mine Terrence, from North Carolina!

Santa Tereza ends in Lapa, another old historical neighborhood of Rio that show us the city glorious past...The place is old, sometimes abandoned, sometimes ugly...but the hoods have a soul and a strong personality...Walking in Santa Tereza and also in Lapa you can see local stuff, regular people, you will see the rhythm of the city. Kate was part of our today's history.

When we go to Santa Tereza the best way is to get lost and observe closerly the old classic portuguese architecture that really reminds us the streets of Chiado, Bairro Alto and Santo Antonio in Lisbon. Terrence and Richard really had fun in our morning walking around...simply no commitments with time, Santa Tereza has to be appreciate with no hurry.

The birth of Samba...Santa Tereza was one of the stages where real samba was performed by so many famous brazilian composers. Bars, traditional bars like Mineiro, Arnaldo, Espirita Santa, Santa Saideira you can listen to our wonderful music. Bohemians of all age, our times had Santa Tereza as their sole inspiration. Santa Tereza tells you a lot of Rio without speaking any language. You just have to "live" Santa Tereza.

The Bondinho... it is a tram, the only line in action in Brazil, the bondinho used to be the main transportation in the city since 1911. 0.60 cents of real for a funny ride around the neighborhood...It is not so perfect and well organized like the trolleys in Europe or the Cable Cars in San Francisco, but for sure it is something that you can do that will make you really feel at home in this city that I love and I am very proud to live.

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

MY GUIDES - THE MEETING OF THE TOP 6

You know when good friends get together just to talk about life!!???? Well, it was a meeting more or less like that because we were planning to meet and establish some stratagies and big plans to make your life even more exciting in Brazil.

10 years working hard to show a very local and genuine side of Rio and also the rest of Brazil forced me to look for more people to welcome the big number of guests who look for my tours. But it was not easy at all to find people with the same ideas, same thoughts and same kind of work that I have.

I gave lots of chances to so many tour guides in Rio but I was looking for special people and I decided to put together the BEST BRAINS in the receptive tours in Rio de Janeiro, part of this small group worked with me for years; some other members I knew their amazing reputation, and one member was picked up by instinct because since the first time I saw her I was convinced that I was dealing with a FIVE STAR TOUR GUIDE who will give a lot of happiness and great memories of anyone who choose to explore Rio under our care.

So we got together in one of the most popular night life spot in Rio which during the night has a bunch of very interesting bars and during the day it is a huge veggie market. THIS MAGICAL PLACE UNDER THE FEET OF THE CHRIST, THE REDEEMER...COBAL HUMAITÁ

My italian friends Cinzia and Lucca once shared some delicious snack in this market...

But we sat in a pleasant pizza place called PIZZA PARK.

In the picture, from left to right you will see myself...Well, it is easy to recognize me I guess...but believe me....that evening I was so happy that I have not felt the time passing by...WE STAYED THERE FOR 7 HOURS!!!

Then you can see Neyla Bomtempo, she is a reference in Rio Tours, someone who has the spirit of Rio with great experience to provide a very informal way to make people know a lot about Rio. She speaks great english and great spanish. She is another tour guide much more worried to make you feel at home in Rio than taking tourist to obvious touristy traps....She is another friend that you can really count in Rio.

Next to Neyla, you will see Diana Persi....she is one royalty in the tour business in Rio, she has a heart of Gold and she is a real sister for me. We are friends for more than 3 years, and I usually recommend her tours when my guests request tours. Diana speaks good french, her english flows like Iguazu Falls. I usually say that DIANA IS MY FEMALE VERSION, being with her it is the same as being with me.

On the top left you can see another flower of my very exclusive garden. Suzana Perl...One of the greatest professional in the area and the very first person I know who speaks perfect hungarian. YES....IF YOU EVER COME FROM HUNGARY...BE SURE YOU WILL HAVE SOMEONE TO RELY ON...And she has perfect english and very fluent french. Suzi is a sweet friend of mine and anyone who comes to Rio and have Suzi as a Guide, wow...you will have such a Lady to show you the best secrets of Rio.

Next to Suzi, you will find a marvelous guide with a charisma way bigger than Brazil. Someone with a large smile as a personal reference. Marcone Lima has made so many tours for me and everyone loves his work. His guidance is not only one adventure in Rio, but it is a lesson about happiness, life and fun. Marcone speaks english so fluent that you will swear that he had lived in a English Spoken Country, his spanish is also amazing and he will be your great friend in Rio de Janeiro. He is very knowledgeable and his passion about Rio will make you in love with the city as well.

And last but not least...my absolutely incredible friend and marvelous Tour Guide, Françoise Sztajn. She shows Rio with endless style. She is open minded and very adventurous. She will make everything humanly possible to make you feel at home in Rio. She knows the hottest spot and she is very updated about what's going on in the city. Françoise is a master in French...well, she was born in France, her english flows naturally and she speaks great spanish.

WE ARE ALL RIO LOVERS!!! So be sure that always one of us will be ready to give you a real positive image of Rio and a fantastic knowledge about Brazil. We are a very united team and we work together.

I highly recommend each one of my folks....They are helping me to put Rio de Janeiro as one of the main destinations in the World.

Thank you my friends for being so special to me,

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

MY MISSION HERE - BE YOUR INFORMAL AMBASSADOR

I am sure when you decide to travel all you want is having fun...Okay, if you meet me, this tour or our tours will be so intense that you will have lots of stories to tell you for quite a long time!!! But I have something to confess...I ALSO HAVE LOOOOOOOOOOADS OF FUN!!!

The way to real happiness is doing what you really like to do and maybe my 10 years of hard working in the tourism business in Brazil explains why...

Well, I do alot of different tours so I never get bored and everytime I meet different an fantastis people.


Margareth came to Rio to celebrate her 93 years old...She waited long years to have a blast in Rio. She is from Santa Barbara, thanks God, California has been very generous to me sending lots of guests. We always have fun in local restaurants to taste the best of our brazilian food. We spent two days exploring with rich details all the beauties of Rio de Janeiro.

I have lots of fun with my Australian Friends... Margaret came to Rio with her husband Pete and we stopped in every famous bar to have some snacks. We went to so many places that I am sure if she'd spent more days in Rio she would be quite fluent in Portuguese. She runs a GuestHouse in Brisbane and I am sure one day I will go there!!!

There were days of endless fun and lots of adventures. Dolly came with her daughters and friends, she trusted me her trip to Rio and I decided to be a member of their families and I shown Rio like a real Father who meets his children after a long time!!! We had fun in Rio de Janeiro, Niteroi and Paraty and we are longing for more!!! My good friend Dolly is planning to be back next year and BRAZIL EXPEDITION PART TWO will continue.

Olga was one of my various russian guests. She came here with her husband but we went very deep in cultural events and we laughed alot in a japonese event in our State Bank Banco do Brazil Cultural Center. She lives in Chicago right now, and we are planning a second cultural marathon in Brazil.

Jenny is one of the most important Antique Collections in the States, she came from Richmond, Virginia to visit a lot of antique stores and markets in Rio de Janeiro, at night I took her to the POPULAR'S CULTURE TEMPLE - FEIRA DO NORDESTE...We painted the town!!! We dance forró like two NORDESTINOS!!! :) It was a glorious tour.

Marcone...what to say about Marcone???? Well...HE IS RAFA, THE CONTINUATION...hahahaha :) When I think about happiness and when I think about Marcone, I have the same conclusion. Marcone IS HAPPINESS and Happiness IS MARCONE.

He is such a complete guide full of knowledge and lots of energy to give to you....He will show you Rio in such a way that Rio will be simply the most interesting destination in your entire life!!!

Marcone has the smile of Rio, the heart of his homeland MARANHAO and THE SOUL OF BRAZIL.

If you want to visit Rio with a Brazilian Soul and I will be busy...be sure that Marcone will be your guide!

His english???? He is an English Teacher and the one who corrects my awful grammar mistakes...Knowledge, he sees Rio with the eyes of a visitor because he also came here for the first time 4 years ago and he loved so much that he decided to stay...LUCKY US!!!

And lucky me to get to know one of the most spectacular fellows in this World.

In my opinion, Marcone is an authority in the tourism business in Rio de Janeiro!

I also have fun in the middle of nowhere in the Amazon in Maranhão State...we stopped in one very poor house to offer food supplies to poor families in our way to Cedral, one of the most hidden fishermen villages in the distant countryside of Maranhao. Marcone joined me in this adventure in our TRAVEL RESEARCHES to find places to take our guests.

This is part of our STREET FOOD TOUR in Rio that I did with my friends Franklin and Zelda from Michigan, we were nibbling some BATATINHAS FRITAS in the outskirts of Rio, in a place called Irajá. I like offering a real local experience when all my guests come to Brazil.

My californian family which my great friend Jane trusted me to guide them to some good spots of Rio and we stopped in the Stairs of Selaron...what a fantastic example of human creativity. A great photographer was present in the group, Robert and we could exchange great ideas about best angles, resolution and places where we could take the best shots. That was a day that brings me incredible memories and lots of laughs.

I met him in the Peace World Forum in Caracas (yes...Caracas...but this time Chavez was in a very good temper, hahahaha) and he came here twice and brought me lots of guests from Venezuela which for their people it is a real act of courage to travel abroad. Their Government allows a very limited quantity of money for them to travel. Which is absolutely cruel and it is not for everyone...if you are someone important in Venezuela, you won't have this kind of restriction...So when they come here I honor every penny they invest to visit one of the most beautiful cities in the World: RIO DE JANEIRO.

Luis has also another special reason to come to Brazil every single year....He was born in Rio and spend most of his life in Caracas...Now he wishes to make up for lost time and he will always count on me.

Jonathan must be if no far to be mistaken one of the most important chefs in Malta, very talented hand, he made the happinnes of so many malteses and visitors all over the years...he came to Rio with my marvelous maltese guests that I am honored to welcome all year round.

His love for Rio gave him a lot of inspirations for his Gastronomy Plans and I am really proud to take him to the best of our brazilian restaurants in Rio, and that day in the Wetlands of Marapendi. He came to Rio thanks for the help of John Scicluna who runs the great idea of YOUJUSTLIVE ONCE who helps great adventurous travellers around the World.

Feel free to check more about this idea in this following link: http://www.youjustliveonce.com/

John is a expert travel agent and tour conductor, he is also one of my best friends, great husband, great father. :) Marie Stell is her Queen and in my opinion, SHE IS THE QUEEN OF MALTA.

Again with Venezuelan Friends, this time Omar came with his wife Monica and I planned a very busy full day as they just had one day to explore the city. The first thing I did was talking such a cool couple to see the Stairs of Selaron where I had the honor to place a tyle in his Stairs. It was an italian tyle with the image of Saint Francis, my favorite saint ever!

Selaron is really someone that you must know when you come here and he changed the life of a whole neighborhood in Rio placing tyles from all over the World in just one stairway.

Bruce...well is much more american than korean...but Korea has to be proud to have someone so bright, someone so great and someone so nice as him. He came to Rio in a honeymoon trip with Pamela....what a wonderful couple!!! Ww had lots of fun everywhere in Niteroi, and we loved to visit the fishing village of Jurujuba!!!

I wish you all the luck, success and love in this World.

So I have many reasons to let my people know that once you come to Rio, you will find a person really honored to have you here. You will find a friendly Rio since your first step in the airport or in the Port of Rio, because I also welcome lots of people who get to Rio by CruiseLine Ships.

Let's make an effort to allow more people to came. I am prepared and my guides are ready. We are committed to give you the best of Rio de Janeiro.

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

ONE GREEN TOUR NEXT TO RIO - TERESOPOLIS AND GUAPIMIRIM

If we have just one day free in your trip to Rio why not visit the outskirts and have a very green day full of adventure. We have wonderful mountain villages in a National Park called PARQUE NACIONAL DA SERRA DOS ORGÃOS.

We will be in touch with places where just locals go...we will see different animals like monkeys, birds and a diverse quantity of unique vegetation, different trees, different flowers, amazing bromelias. In few words we will be visiting a giant open air BOTANICAL GARDEN!!!!

It will be your opportunity to explore the insiders of Rio with soft or middle tough hikes that lead you to bewildering natural sceneries and you will see waterfalls that are not even mention in your travel books.

We will visit very little hoods where people will be impressed to hear your english!!! And we will have fanstatic food in a lunch FOR KINGS in the middle of the jungle!!!

We will always come across with mineral water pools with interesting falls...lush green and wilderness will be always present in our way!!!

It will be a whole day full of adventure and full of emotion, a day that will make you be deeply in love with Rio and you will adopt Brazil as your second country. We will visit small cities like Teresopolis and Guapimirim. Places that we know thanks to our primitive population centuries ago. These are places that will enrich your trip to Rio de Janeiro and you will feel special to cover so many genuine destination that very few have access.

I usually take couples and small groups...write to me as soon as you can and I will give you more details about prices and how to go there...Believe me, it is easy to reach so many special places like Poço Verde, Santo Aleixo, Guapi and an endless numbers of small comunnity in our mountains.

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

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MINAS GERAIS - A COOL DESTINATION IN YOUR RIO'S TRIP

The history of Brazil you can only learn if you visit the places where everything took place...and nothing better than visiting the Barroc Heritage of several colonial towns such as Tiradentes, Congonhas do Campo, Ouro Preto and Mariana, and if you find more time, you should consider going to Sabará close to the capital of the State, Belo Horizonte or going to the fascinating faraway Diamantina, land of rich portuguese farmers and also land of the great President which changed our capital to Brasília.



This State is called MINAS GERAIS...I love my Brazil so much and I really confess that after Maranhão and my wonderful homeland Rio de Janeiro, Minas is the most fantastic State that I know in Brazil.

My Good friend Alexandre who works for me as my driver was with me in this adventure through the past and natural beauties of Minas Gerais. In this picture we were in the old town of São João del Rey. Alexandre is one of the best prepared driver in the city of Rio and I am proud to drive all over Brazil with him.

A photo taken by Alexandre when I was not expecting...heheheheh but you can see the charming houses of São João del Rey

The Taste of Minas Gerais is the first thing that will drive you mad when you get there...THE COMIDA MINEIRA....

Comida – Food
Mineira – Native of Minas Gerais...

Actually, eating in Minas Gerais will convince you that stomach orgasm DO EXIST....You will reach the sky after a first meal in so many restaurants that I know in the State.

MINAS IS ALSO TRADITION AND HISTORY... Minas means “Mines” and Gerais means “Several”... Several Mines of so many different stones and minerals...Its natural richness made Minas Gerais so important for Portugal, and real towns arised on the top of the mountains, and these CIDADES HISTORICAS started.

When you also realize that one of the main attractions of Minas is simply THE PEOPLE...then you will be addicted to the State....

MINAS ALSO MEANS ADVENTURE...Hikings in high mountains, getting in the jungle, finding amazing rivers and coming across with stunning waterfalls. Lush green vegetagion, it is really like seeing a Brazil exactly how the first explorers use to conquer when they were looking for metals like gold, diamonds and silver.

Everywhere in Minas Gerais is an exciting invitation for adventure, fun and great memories.

MINAS HAS ALMOST THE SIZE OF TEXAS....The State is huge and exploring the whole State will be something that never ends.

To reach Minas you have to be prepared to travel in so many inner parts of Brazil, but it is very close to Rio actually.

We can easily organize a two days adventure or a three days adventures in your trip to Rio de Janeiro.

I highly recommend you to experience one side of Brazil that very few visitors dare to visit.

Rafael Torres Lopes
Tour Guide and Travel Planner

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RAFA WITH BRAZILIAN GUESTS TOO - HUUUUUGE GROUP

Well...Rio is also a very famous destination in Brazil, we also have domestic travellers who dream about visiting the famous CIDADE MARAVILHOSA. I think it is important to allow other brazilians to get to know Rio, one of the main cities in Brazil and trully one of the cultural doors of the country!

I had the pleasure to welcome architecture students from Londrina, a big city in the east of Paraná State, so no doubt our tour focused the old Rio where we have many different style, from the Colonial Barroc, from recent Art Noveau and Art Decó that are very present in the city center.

We made a stop in a very old café in DownTown Rio...the famous Café Colombo, since the 1800 this place has been the meeting point of many brazilian personalities, and as all my guests are personalities, once in a while I take them to try one of the delicious snacks with strong portuguese influence.

The National Library constructed by the portuguese king DOM JOÃO VI in another place in 1813, only in 1858 the books were transfered to a bigger building which is our National Library nowadays. This beautiful beauting holds our most important books and also a lot of books brought from Lisbon, booked that people could save during the terrible Earthquake in Portugal; the portuguese brought important books to Rio de Janeiro which used to be the capital of the Nation during this time.

Of course, all my tours I have to include Niteroi, and the group went to my favorite fishing village Jurujuba where photographers like me and specially architecture students find a real playground. Jujuruba is one of the most interesting places in Niteroi where you cand really feel a slow pace of life and get to know wondeful humble people who will be happy to see you.

We spent 3 days together and we always had a party in the end of each tour...We spend great moments together, full of laughings and full of fun. You know, when I am working, I do my job with a lot of passion!!!

One of the highlights were a visit to our majestic City Music Hall, Teatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro...a real lesson of music when we go there.

Also, a must do thing in my tours has to be a place where NATURE RULES. And I chose Burle Marx House in the West of Rio. His house in my opinion is the second BOTANICAL GARDENS . You learn a lot about our eco system and we learn a lot the importance to preserve our resources.

SO BIG KISSES TO ALL MY FRIENDS IN LONDRINA and I am honored to have you all in my blog, you were people that made my tours complete!!!

Thank you very much,

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

PARATY BY THE EYES OF AN EXPLORER - LOTS OF GREEN

My advise when you arrive in Paraty for the first time is GET LOST!!! :) the little village is small and every corner that we turn is a new world to discover. Paraty is place for romantic people, it is a place for knowledge seekers and it is a place for real travellers and adventurers!!!

Every one can enjoy Paraty just in the way it is....

I am a big fan of Paraty...no trace of doubt when I say that Paraty is one of my BELOVED HOME outside Rio...and it is not that far...

4 hours to ge the from Rio city and the road follows the beautiful southern coast which I think it is comparable with the Garden Route in South Africa.

Also we have visitors that port in Paraty in very comfortable and absolutely stunning CruiseLines so when you come to Paraty you can arrive here with STYLE!!!!

But we can also explore the jungles of Paraty, a simple visit to the district of Cunha that show us the GREEN POWER OF PARATY, where we can have lunch in the jungle all surrounded by Nature and LUSH GREEN FORESTS.

We never know that one day in Paraty we can do so many different things. Paraty holds for you the best of Nature Wonders of our Atlantic Forest and I can tell you, I am quite keen on the beautiful green surroundings of Paraty!!

We can visit old Sugar Cane Farms and learn alot about the Rural areas of Brazil...A lovely afternoon visiting so many incredible spots in the heart of the Mountains of Cunha!

My very dear British Friends Edwina and David spend a fantastic afternoon visiting places where Cachaça, our national drink is made!

We only need less than 20 minutes to see a completely different scenery, we will be in the heart of the Forest to spot exotic birds, incredible fresh water pools and to experience one BRAZIL just like the first navigators first witnessed.

Exploring the surroundings of Paraty, there is a ex-slave villages like Campinho where we can meet afro brazilians who are directr descendants of slaves, we have to learn alot from this people. Claudio is a very talented local artists that loves to express his african heritage in amazing pictures in the walls of his house!

I am proud to show you a different profile of Brazil and always giving you food for thoughts for a next visit. I am here to be your informal ambassador and show you the real stuff of Brazil when you decide to visit us!!!

In Rio or in Paraty you will always have a friend who will show you the real marvelous side of Brazil, and Paraty can be an unique experience!

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

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